WAAAYTOOO

Have to say 30% off the DBP is a little underwhelming

Our experience is that the cabin attendant in a suite will bring the pool towels to you if requested (and replace them if they are left with the other soiled towels in the bathroom).

I love, love, love days like this...where you really don't do much of anything.  It makes the day go by quickly but I still love it.  I read SOOO many times, "I don't spend any time in my room so why pay a lot of money for a room" ?  I have discovered, over the years, the nicer your room the more time you want to spend in it !!  Funny how that works.  I found this to be the most true when we stayed in the Grand Panoramic Suite on Oasis.  That room was incredible...and I loved just hanging out there.  A 7 night cruise goes by fast already so if you don't take time to just enjoy it, you will miss a lot.  GREAT job on hanging out for this one !!
When we were on Anthem for our SC B2B, we had Jesus as our room attendant and he was a master at the towel animals.  His specialty were mini-towel-animals.  He claims (and I have to take his word for it) that he began the whole towel animal craze waaay back.  Too bad if Jesus isn't on Anthem now....he was really awesome.

Right up until the FDA changes the definition of fully vaccinated to fully boosted. 
I keep seeing this same logical fallacy: just do A, and then we can do B... Except they never should have been linked transitively. 

Yaaaaay everyone in our traveling party has officially tested negative so the biggest anxiety is gone! We all had the at home test kits as back ups but I was able to get a super convenient time at CVS which is on my way home from work. So….it just seemed easier than worrying if I would have one of those faulty test kits. 

Bear in mind though, that this has required barring the unvaccinated from certain areas of the ship and only allowing RC sponsored excursions while in port.  That's not sustainable in the long term.

About came unglued and after 5 hours spinning my wheels. Finally got to a supervisor . Less than 10 minutes to redo everything and do it right this time. Finally every bookin I have paid in full and no more FCC floating around...
 

I just checked and both of my bids are still in pending status. I guess that means it’s pretty much not going to happen? I’ve never really kept up with the bids after they are placed so I don’t have much of a history in regards to whether or not this is how it always goes down. Either way, it’s a win/win as the fall back will be deck 17!

This morning at 10 the CC text message arrived for our bid. So the theory of multiple expired with one pending still holds truth.
Nerve-wracking part was the wait as the other staterooms in the category were dropping out of inventory.
#team17

I think my Royal Up luck has most likely come to an end. I am still anxiously awaiting the text message from my credit card company with a charge from RC……. The good news is we all now have our negative COVID test results in hand so we will be on Harmony this Sunday! Will it be a star class Royal upgrade or the CLS that we originally booked??????? The answer shall now come in the 11th hour. 

Well seeing that I don't have the same luck as @tonyfsu21, I went ahead and cancelled all my bids and upgraded myself to star when I saw it pop up last night!  First cruise back from dry dock, might as well go big or go home right? lol

I just called and spoke to a C & A rep - she told me that the return to Canada free testing program is continuing through March and although it might not be on the website it will be mentioned in the protocol email Royal sends for your individual cruise.

Our feelings exactly.

There's "lowest price" and then there's "best value".  Those terms are different for everyone.  Some people insist on getting Onboard Credit (OBC) from their travel agent (TA) and some would rather have more personalized service (you rarely get both together).
Some of the online agencies do large group bookings and are able to offer a somewhat reduced cruise fare, but using an online agency can have its drawbacks.  For one thing, some of them do not participate in the Royal Up program (Costco, for example), which allows you to bid on upgraded cabins.  Sometimes (but not always) it is difficult to establish a personal relationship with the online agencies b/c they only have a call center number to call and you get whoever you get when you call.
MEI Travel is the sponsor of this blog and many of us use them and love the service that we get.  Are they exclusive to Royal Caribbean ?  No, but they certainly get a lot of business for Royal and they know the ropes.
I use Michelle Cunningham
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Sharla is also also a local favorite and frequents these boards.  Someone can hopefully provide you with contact information for Sharla or some of the other GREAT MEI agents.
Website:  www.mei-travel.com
 
Good luck !!

I know the topic title is kind of stupid.  We flew to FLL today for our cruise tomorrow.  It was pouring rain when we landed and once we got to our hotel and opened up the luggage, many of the items inside are wet (hardcase and solftside suitcases).  We do not have a rental car.  There is not a laundromat nearby.  There is too much to hang and let dry overnight (only to re-pack again) tomorrow morning.  The hotel does not have a coin laundry machine.
What is the best method to get clothes to dry on a ship?  It seems like even when we hang stuff on the balcony or on the line in the bathroom, it takes forever to dry.  Would RCL have a dry only service?  We are a family of 4 and I don't want to have the equivalent of 2 large suitcases sent out for laundry on RCL.
Looking for reasonable ideas please....

Update:  After talking about things some more, we decided to bail now.  We're not adverse to testing at all, however the requirements stated by the Barbados government along with the current need to book a shore excursion to go off the ship made us decide to cruise elsewhere in January.  Barbados isn't going anywhere.  We will try again when things aren't as cumbersome.
FWIW, we changed to the same time frame on Oasis.  We've never been on an Oasis class ship, and we've been to the ports already, so if we can't go ashore without an excursion, we will have plenty to do onboard.

I agree with your logic. 
Some multi generational group cancellations will occur if unvaccinated kids are banned but this could also be offset by more adults (or vaccinated kids) willing to sail if masks aren’t required anywhere on ship. 
I hope Royal will drop area mask requirements without requiring kids to be vaccinated. Time will tell. 

The timescales involved for testing were/are shocking!
I flew from UK to Gibraltar last week, landed went and got our luggage then went to testing point at airport, got test done, jumped in a taxi to hotel ( 5 minutes ) checked into hotel went to room and my phone pinged with test results. Result...all clear so it was out to play lol 

You would just call Royal Caribbean or contact you Travel Agent.
 

Our feelings exactly.

@AHollyS, @Ampurp85is correct; that's what my The Key email specifies.  That said, when I asked an RCL Rep if the 25% discount would apply to already discounted prices onboard (like when they have a "special price" offer, he indicated that it would.  I'll be able to report back in about 11 days!

I’m onboard the Allure so I’m sorry I didn’t get to read through all the responses, but wanted to note that on the crown loft suites some of the upstairs bathroom have a large shower and others have instead a large tub that doubles as a shower. A great suite, near the CK (I still prefer an OS but the CL is a close second). 😊

This is likely the answer. Just b/c they allow you to bid for a RoyalUp does not mean that there is actually a cabin in that category available. They allow you to bid b/c there’s a possibility that someone in that sold out category may either cancel or win a RoyalUp and move out of their cabin, leaving a vacancy for someone else to move up and so on, down the line.

No doubt there will be an initial surge of kids being vaccinated. 
 
But even the NYTimes touched on the issue
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/30/health/covid-vaccine-kids-parents.html

I keep hearing this, but I live in a neighborhood with lots of families that can afford Disney and other cruises and vacation a decent amount.  I have yet to find a parent who isn't vaccinating their child.  Almost everyone got appointments within the first 7 days they were released.  A few waited due to their schedules or they had to wait 90 days from a Covid case.  But everyone now has their first shot done.  The only people who didn't get their kids vaccinated are the same that didn't get themselves vaccinated which is very few people and they wouldn't be able to cruise anyways since they are not vaccinated.